Stem cells hold hope for genetic skin diseases.
Researchers who have been struggling to overcome barriers to genetics-based therapies for skin disorders say cure may not be far off, particularly in light of a revolutionary advance by Italian researchers that effectively cured regions of skin in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa. "Early clinical ... proof-of-the-principle...

Disability activists demand an end to Jerry's Labor Day telethon pity party.
Labor Day weekend is meant to be spent at leisure, enjoying the last few days of summer before the kids head back to school. I almost accomplished that goal this year, but found myself bogged down with the task of trying to get through a couple hours of the...

Private Access and Genetic Alliance Partner.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY CLOSE-UP-22 August 2008-Private Access and Genetic Alliance Partner(C)2008 - CloseUpMedia - newsdesk@closeupmedia.com Private Access and Genetic Alliance said they have formed a novel public-private partnership designed to simultaneously protect patients' privacy rights while creating a faster and more cost effective way for researchers to...

Nabbing suspicious SNPS: scientists search the whole genome for clues to common diseases.
Old-fashioned gene hunting wasn't terribly efficient. Geneticists typically pursued one gene at a time, armed only with guesses--usually wrong--about which chunks of genetic code might be linked to human disease. Geneticists managed to bag a few trophies anyway--genes for Huntington's chorea and cystic fibrosis, for example--mostly in...

Finding the golden genes: advances in gene therapy could tempt some athletes to enhance their genetic makeup, leading some researchers to work on detection methods just in case.
In early August--8/8/08, to be precise--the curtain will rise on what many experts believe could prove to be the first genetically modified Olympics. For the unscrupulous or overdriven Olympic athlete, the banned practice of "doping" by taking hormones or other drugs to enhance athletic prowess may seem...

Finding the golden genes.
Advances in gene therapy could tempt some athletes to enhance their genetic makeup, leading some researchers to work on detection methods just in case [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In early August--8/8/08, to be precise--the curtain will rise on what many experts believe could prove to be the...

Pigs replace mice in search for cure clues.
Cystic fibrosis is the most common genetic disease in Caucasians. The median life span for those with this malady is 36 years, and lung disease is the major cause of mortality. For years, scientists have studied cystic fibrosis using mice in which the cystic fibrosis gene was altered. However,...

Newborn screening during an emergency.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Keeping newborn screening up and running during an emergency is a daunting but critical task for states. For babies with metabolic conditions, a break from their medications and dietary treatment can be life-threatening. State officials face problems ranging from damaged labs and equipment...

CHEO Leverages Luminex Technology.
HEALTH AND BEAUTY CLOSE-UP-30 June 2008-CHEO Leverages Luminex Technology(C)2008 - CloseUpMedia - newsdesk@closeupmedia.com The Ontario Newborn Screening Program, located at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), recently announced that it has accomplished the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's mandate to screen all babies born in...

Just the beginning: newborn screening and tracking diagnosed children into adulthood varies among states.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stephen Monaco's life was forever changed on May 30, 2001. That morning the normally energetic 3-year-old who loved Clifford the Big Red Dog was found unresponsive. Today Stephen sits in a wheelchair, brain-damaged and fed through a G-tube. Next to him, his sister Caroline is...